Connector assemblies for coaxial cables have been used throughout the semi-flexible coaxial cable industry for a number of years. These connector assemblies allow each cable to be interconnected with other cables and/or electrical devices. These connector assemblies must make good electrical contact with each other and with their corresponding cables or devices in order to provide good signal transmission. Connector assemblies generally include a clamping member for connection to the coaxial cable and a body member for connection to the clamping member. The body member is configured to receive and connect to a mating connector. Connector assemblies also generally include a fitting having a mating portion, which is usually female, for connection to a corresponding male mating connector. In order to provide good mechanical stability and electrical contact between the connector assembly and the mating connector, the female mating portion of the connector assembly is configured to receive the male mating connector so that each is aligned with the other and both are mechanically and electrically connected to each other.
However, known connector fittings have the following disadvantages: being easily damaged from a misaligned mating connector, being difficult to engage with the mating connector, lacking sufficient localized contact pressure with the mating connector, having sharp edges that scrape conductive plating on the engaging surfaces of the mating connector and the fitting, being difficult to install and remove, having wide slots between the fingers of the mating portion that do not prevent excessive flexing of the fingers and being of a generally uniform thickness which decreases the maximum possible distal end deflection of the fingers.
Therefore, there is a need for easy to install outer contact springs for use in new and existing connector assemblies that do not suffer from the above mentioned deficiencies.